Curtain



(No Modl.) -3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. M. BRANSHAW.

\ CURTAIN.

No. 528,071.4 Patented 001;. 23, 1894.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

. A. M. BRANSHAW.

CURTAIN No. 528,071. Patented om.. 23,1894.

ATTORNEYS.

Unitfrno STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT MYE'RS BRANSHAW, OF ESCANABA, MICHIGAN.

CURTAIN.

SPECIFliGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 528,071, dated October' 23, 1894. Application led January 13. 1894. Serial No. 496,742. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT MYERS BRA-N- SHAW, of Escanaba, in the county of Delta and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ourtains,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. Y

My invention relates to an improvement in curtains, and it has for its object to provide a curtain capable ot' rendering the opening over which it is drawn, air-tight; and a further object of the invention is to construct a curtain especially adapted for use as a substitute for folding doors or doorways of any kind, arches, or any openings adapted to be closed at times and at other times left open.

Another object of the invention is to provide a curtain of the character described, which will be exceedingly simple, durable and economic, and which will be capable of being expeditiously and conveniently manipulate The invention consists in the novel construc-` tion and combination ofthe several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a doorway, a portion of the frame being broken away,

and the improved curtain being illustrated as partially closing thesame. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken practically on the line'2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section taken through the frame and curtain, practically on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is asection taken horizontally through V'the frame and through the lower bar of the curtain; and Fig. 5 is a detail View of a modified form of the locking mechanismadapted to be connected with the lower bar or rail of the curtain. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating a slightly different form of lower bar or rail of the curtain applied to the curtain. Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken `practically on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6. Fig. Sis a horizontal section, taken substantially on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a detail viewillustrating the guides used in connection with the curtain.

Fig. 10is a front elevation of a store door, illustrating the application of the invention thereto. Fig. 11 is averticalsectiou through a curtain similar to that shown in Fig.1'O,and likewise through a door-way, illustrating the slide-ways as constructed to admit of the curtain being employed as an awning; and Fig. 12 is a longitudinal section through the slat bar of the curtain shown in Fig.l0.

In carrying out the invention aslide-way A, is located at opposite sides of the doorway B, arch-Way, or Vother opening to which the curtain is to be applied. The slide-ways may be made in many ways, as for example, they may be constructed as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4,'in which a suitable channel is produced vertically in the door-way or arch-way, and the outer portion of the said channel is to a great measure` closed by means of metal plates 10, which plates are brought somewhat close together at the central portion of the channel over which they extend, a space of predetermined width intervening between two opposing plates, and the `said plates at their opposing ends are preferably provided with registering semi-circular recesses, producing thereby a series of circular openings 11, as shown in Fig. 2, which may extend at suitable intervals apart from the bottom of the slide-way to the top thereof.

The slide-ways 'A may `be made of sheet metal bent upon itself to form an interior chamber, longitudinally of the arch-way or door-way to which the curtain is applied, a space being made to intervene the saidedges in like manner as shown in Fig. 2; and for example, the slide-Ways maybe practically V-shaped in cross section, or they may be made more or less U-shaped, as shown in Fig. 8, and each of the slide-ways may consist of a tube 12 suitably secured to the side walls of the opening to be closed, the said tube being provided with a longitudinal slot 13, which is preferably made to extend from end to end thereof.

The curtain 14, may be made of any desired material, and it may be made [ire-proof, or water-proof, or both, if in practice it is found desirable. A spring roller 15 of any approved construction is located in suitable bearings at the upper portion of the opening to be covered, and the upper portion of the curtain is secured to this roller in the usual manner, since the curtain is to be rolled around it. The roller is concealed through the medium of a housing 16, constructed in two sections, one section being located at each side of the roller, and the sections of the housing extend practically to an engagement with the upper wall of the opening, and after being curved downward around the roller have their lower ends brought as closely as possible to an engagement with the slide-ways A. This housing may be of any desired material, and may be suitably decorated, and it entirely conceals the roller. The sections of the housing are made detachable, so that access to the roller may be had at any time. The side edges of the curtain are made to enter and travel in the slide-ways A, said edges being passed through the space between the plates 10, for example, or through the slot produced in the tube 12, if that construction is adopted.

In order thatthe curtain inayhave guided movement in its slide-ways, and further in order that the wind, or a draft of any description shall not bulge the curtain or cause it to leave its slide-ways, a series of guides 17, is employed, which guides, as shown in detail in Fig. 9, preferably consist of sheet metal, and comprise a circular body 18 and parallel shanks 19.l Openings are made in the curtain at suitable distances from its edges, through which the shank is passed, until one member of the shank lies at each side ofthe curtain, and a portion of the head is likewise at each side, as shown in Figs. 3 and 8. The head of each guide is located in the chamber of the slidewvay, while the shank extends out through the slot or mouth of the slide-way, and the shanks of the guides are riveted or otherwise attached to the curtain, so that virtually they constitute an integral part of it. In addition to guiding the curtain` the guide plates 17, serve likewise to strengthen and stiften it.

The curtain is provided at its lower end with a bar 20, corresponding to the lower slat in the ordinary curtain. Therefore this bar will be denominated a slat bar. When the slide-way is constructed in tubular form, as shown in Fig. S, the slat bar, which may be of any desired diameter, is made to extend from one slide-way to the other, and is shaped at its ends to have free movement on said slide-ways, and to engage snugly therewith; and a loop or handle 21, may be secured to the curtain and to the bar to facilitate its manipulation. The slat bar may be tubular or it may be solid. Preferably, however, it is made tubular, as shown in Fig. 4, and theslat bar is preferably provided with spring-controlled latches D, capable of being operated from the exterior of the bar, the

said latches being adapted to hold the curtain at any height from the floor or ground at which it may be desired that it should remain. The preferred form of this latch is that which is shown in Fig. 4, and it consists of a cylindrical body 22, having sliding movement within the slat bar, and a reduced head 23, likewise cylindrical and provided with a conical outer end. Each of the latches D, is contained within a chamber 24, formed at each end of the slat barby means of a partition 25, havingan aperture produced in it; and a spring 26, is located in each chamber 24, having bearing against the partition 25, and at the other end against the body of the latch. Thus the springs 26, normally act to force the heads 23 of the latches outward, and their conical 'ends'will enter the slots or mouth portions of the slide-ways and thus serve to guide the lower end of the curtain, while when registering apertures 11, are made in the slide-Ways A, the heads of the latches will automatically enter the said apertures, as shown in Fig. ft, and the curtain will be held stationary.

In the event it is desired that the curtain should pass a number' of apertures 1l without the latches D entering the said apertures, the latches are drawn inward to such an eX- tent as to prevent their heads passing through any of the apertures until the desired ones are reached, when the latches will be released. In the meantime, the conical heads of the latches will serve as guides for the lower portion of the curtain. Preferably the latches are manipulated as illustrated in Fig. 4, in which it will be observed that two wires 26% cords, or the equivalents thereof, are attached to the inner end of each latch. Each pair of cords or wires is carried to the center of the latch bar, being passed through the partitions 25 and partitions 27,located near the center, and one cord or wire of each set is carried out through suitable apertures produced in the slat bar at each side thereof, and the projecting ends of the wires or cords ot' opposing latches at each side of the slat bar, are connected by plates 28, or the equivalents thereof. Each plate has attached to it one end of a strap 29, the other end of the strap being attached to the curtain at any desired point above the slat bar. Thus by drawing outward upon either of the straps 29, the latches will be drawn within the slat bar and the curtain may be raised or lowered from one given point to another, and when the latches are released they will enter the nearest set of apertures 11 in the slide-way.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a slight modification in the manner of operating the latches. In this for-m of slat bar it is provided with a slot 30 at each end, and a pin 31, is passed through said slot into the body of the latch. A strap 32, is attached to the studs of both latches and passed through an eye or other guide placed about centrally on the slat bar, whereby upon drawing upon the strap in one direction both latches will be drawn within the slat bar, while upon releasing the strap the springs of the latches will act to force them outward.

In Fig. 10 I have illustrated a curtain as IOO IOS

applied to the projection of the door-way of a store. The slide-ways A, are secured to the inner faces of the door jambs, and the slideways may be provided with any number of the aperturesll heretofore referred to. Ordinarily however, in this form of the device, but one aperture is needed in each slide-way, located atthe bottom, as shown `.in Fig. 1l. The hanging and guiding of the curtain is the same as that heretofore described, and the construction of the slat-bar 20, is substantially the same, dilfering only in the manner in which the bolts D, are manipulated, which is through the medium of a spindle 34, held to turn preferably in the central portion of the slat bar, the knob of the spindle being upon its outer end. The said spindle outside of the Slat-bar, is provided with two oppositely-disposed arms 36 and 37,'and the said arms are connected by cables or wires 38 and 39 with the pins 3l located upon the bolts, since the bolts D and the slat bar are constructed in substantially the same manner as illustrated in Fig. 5 and heretofore described.

Thus it will be observed,that by turning the knob 35 of the spindle 34 in one direction, both bolts D will be simultaneously drawn within the Slat-bar and the curtain may then be moved upward or downward as desired; whereas, when the knob of the spindle is ret leased the springs of the bolts will force said bolts outward. Should the curtain be raised above the lower bolt-receiving aperture ll in the slide-ways, the springs 26 will bear with sufficient force upon the bolts as to cause the latter `to bind sufficiently hard against the slide-ways to resist the action of the spring roller, and thus hold the curtain in position.V Should the spring in the roller become weak, or` should it not be strong enough primarily to raise the curtain to the top of ther doorway, a cable 40, is attached to the central portion of the slat bar and passed upward over a pulley 41, located at the top of the door-way, and by drawing downward upon this cable the curtain may beraised the remaining distance that the spring failed in carrying it. A second cable 42, is usually attached likewise to the central portion ot' the slat bar, the second cable being used for the purpose of drawing the curtaindownward.

In Fig. 1l I have illustrated a modified form ofthe device in which the curtain is adapted for use as an awning. In this formof the device the slide-ways are made in two sections, and the upper-section of the slide-way to which the hood 16 is secured is pivoted in the door-way, so that by raising the curtain until its slat-bar is, for example, at the lower end of the pivoted sections of the slide-ways, the said sections may be carried outward at an angle to the door-way carrying the curtain with them, and held in such inclined position through the medium of rods 43, which may be slipped over the ends of the bolts D of the curtain slat bar, and made to engage with sockets 44, located upon the door jambe, or

attached to the lower-sectionsof the slide-l ways.

. `Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters PatentN i. The combination with slideways located at opposite sides of the opening to be closed,

`similar opening, of slide-ways constructed in sections, the lower section of each slide-way being secured to one of the jambs, the upper section of each slide-way being pivotally connected with the jamb, a housing carried by the upper portion ot` the upper slide-ways, a

spring roller located Within said housing, a curtain attached to the roller, passed downward through the housing and provided with a slat bar containing spring controlled bolts adapted to enter the slide-ways, a device for simultaneously operating the bolts in the slat bar of the curtain, and means, substantially as shown and described, for maintaining the upper slide-way sections in an inclined position, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, with chambers located at opposite sides of the opening to be closed, slide ways located in front of the chambers, said slide-ways being provided with apertures at intervals therein, and a guide slot extending longitudinally through the apertures, and a roller mounted at the top of said opening, of a curtain secured to the roller, having its side edges extending through the guide slots in the slide-ways into the chambers at the rear of the slide-ways, guides having circular heads secured to the sides of the curtain, the circular heads of said guides being located in the said chambers and provided with shanks which are attached to the curtain, a slat bar located at the lower end of the curtain, and provided with spring-controlled latches adapted to enter the apertures in the slide-ways, and means, substantially as shown and described, for manipulating said latches` as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, with chambers located at opposite sides of the opening to be closed, slide-ways located in front of the chambers, said slide-ways being provided with apertures at intervals therein, and a guide slot extending longitudinally through the apertures and a roller mounted at the top of the said openings, of a curtain secured to the roller, and having its side edges extending through the guide slots in the slide-ways into the chambers at the rear of the slide-ways, guides having circular heads, secured to the sides of the IOO IIO

of the bar, and a connecting plate uniting the.

projecting ends of each set of cords or Wires, whereby upon drawing outward upon either of the plates bothlatches Will be drawn within the slat bar, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination, with longitudinally slotted slideways adapted to be secured to the sides of an opening to be closed, and a roller mounted at the top of the Sad opening, of a curtain secured to the roller and having its side edges extending into the slideways, guides having circular heads and parallel shanks and secured to the curtain a short distance from itsedges by passing theln through apertures in the curtain, so that one shank and a portion of the head of each guide' will lie onopposite sides ot' the curtain, and a bar secured to the'loWer end of the curtain, the said bar having its ends shaped to fit upon the slideways, substantially as shown and described.

ALBERT MYERS BRANSHAW.

Witnesses:

LoUIs N. SCHEMMEL, O. V. LINDEN. 

